This Night Is So Cold
by MyLittleElphie
Summary: The night is cold, but Galinda and Elphaba find warmth, comfort and love in each other's arms. (Most pathetic description I've ever written xD ) AU. GELPHIE. Beware of Smut ;)


_**AN:**_

 _All right... longest One Shot ever! LOL And a lot of it is *cough* smut (^_^;)_

 _Yeah, I don't quite know what came over me... but I had an idea and I just had to try it! This is my first time really writing M rated stuff, so please bear with me._

 _I hope this is somewhat enjoyable._

 _Happy reading guys and gals!_

 _xoxo MLE :3_

* * *

 **This Night Is So Cold**

"What a fine young lady," Galinda heard the Baronet say to her father as she was on her way out.

She turned around once more when she reached the door, curtsying and sweetly wishing the two men a good night. Then, she slipped through the narrow gap between the double doors, headed for her bedchamber. However, when she set her foot on the first step of the winding staircase, a vague sense of premonition held her back. Like an invisible lead, her apprehensive curiosity pulled her back to the entrance to the humble lounge, where the doors were still slightly ajar. Casting a hesitant look over her shoulder to make sure that none of the other inhabitants of the house were around, she leaned closer. Her body carefully concealed, she pressed her cheek against the polished wood to spy through the narrow gap that allowed her to view a small slice of the room where her father and their guest were still sitting by the crackling fireplace.

"Is that all you have to say, Sir Chuffrey?" Highmuster asked almost boldly as he swirled the smooth, amber liquid in his glass. The barely younger man sitting opposite him, arched his brows in surprise, but only a clock tick later, both men were chuckling and raising their drinks to their thirsty mouths.

"She is a real beauty with her golden curls and sapphire blue eyes," the Baronet acknowledged, smiling. "And what is even more important: _so_ obedient and graceful. It is as if she can do no wrong, is that not true? I am quite humbled that you are even considering me. Surely, you must be tired by now of the endless coming and going of suitors who call to make their offers."

Galinda's father grabbed the crystal decanter and stretched across the table to refill his guest's glass.

"My wife still insists I should choose someone closer to her age, but frankly, young boys only have their heads full of love and other big ideas that will cause nothing but trouble. Even the most perfect wife would not be enough to satisfy their youthful urge for adventure – and I should know, for I was just like them when I was wed to Larena. I simply do not wish to see my daughter suffer."

"I see your point," Chuffrey nodded. "Well, my offer stands. And I can assure you, I do know how to appreciate a jewel such as young Miss Galinda."

Wide-eyed, Galinda backed away from the door, her hand pressed against her chest. Her heart was racing. She swallowed hard and clumsily took another few steps back before whirling around and hurrying upstairs. A maid wandering the dark house with an oil lamp in her hand only just managed to get out of her way when she darted for the door at the very end of the corridor. The door was ripped open with startling force, before being closed again with noiseless gentleness. The maid was left staring at the ornate door, wondering what had brought on the odd behaviour she had just witnessed.

Inside, the sweet, blonde girl was kneeling beside her bed, her arms resting on top, her face buried deep in the cool silk of her duvet cover. Her body was trembling. She wasn't crying – not quite yet – but she was struggling for air as she did her best to regain control over herself. Thinking of her mother and father's pleased smiles whenever they were particularly proud of her, helped her to calm down quickly, but as soon as the mental image of her father turned towards Sir Chuffrey and shook his hand in an all too approving manner, a fresh bout of terror possessed her. Her hands grasped her head and dainty fingers pulled on soft strands of hair without any regard for the work that had gone into coiffing it so perfectly. Without complaint, the expensive quilt absorbed her squeal of frustration and the few tears that she could no longer hold back. Galinda took a deep breath. Releasing the tension felt good and it somewhat helped alleviating the ache in her chest. A few moments and a couple of snivels later, she pushed herself up, straightened out her skirt and gracefully sat down on her bed.

Looking out of the window on the opposite wall and wiping away the traces the tears had left on her pale cheeks, she vowed that she would not let this happen again. No matter how much she disliked her father's apparent plan to marry her off to this man who was more than twice her age – or any man if she was entirely honest – it would simply not do to make such a scene. If she allowed her mannerism to slip like this within the safety of her own home, chances were that one day it would happen in a more public place. What if someone saw? What a disaster that would be! After all, she was Galinda Arduenna – known throughout the entire town of Frottica as The _Good_ Girl, mother's and father's darling angel. She was the personification of grace and virtue. Girls, both younger and older than her, were often told by their parents to take a page from her book (or the entire book as it was, if at all possible). What a disappointment she would be to her own parents if everyone in Frottica would learn that this angelic appearance and demeanor were no more than a lie.

Galinda's focus shifted and for a moment, she no longer saw the black, starless sky beyond her window, but her own reflection on the glass. Her lips twitched. Even she couldn't tell the difference. There was absolutely nothing that would betray the change within her heart, no matter how fundamental it had been. Not too long ago, she had been everything the people around her thought she was, but all it had taken to break this angel's halo was _one_ person. And that one person had flipped her life, her entire world upside-down as if this questionable accomplishment were nothing to speak of.

Only thinking of this person brought a smile to the blonde's face, no matter how troublesome their relationship was. And thanks to the shred of wry humour she had acquired while interacting with this person, Galinda did appreciate the irony; that it was the daughter of a clergyman that had led her astray (although it should be mentioned that she shared none of her father's pious enthusiasm).

It had been less than a year that old Father Bassgurt, their previous minister, had passed on. As there had been no one in Frottica to follow in his footsteps, an outsider had been brought in – much to some of the older residents' chagrin. And so Brother Frexspar Thropp had moved into the old perish house next to the Unionist chapel, together with his eldest daughter Elphaba, poor, disabled Nessarose, little Shell, and the children's nanny. His wife was said to have died several years ago. Galinda had met Elphaba the first Sunday after their arrival at the chapel, after Brother Frexspar's service. No more than two months later, she had been entirely under the witch's spell. Of course, Elphaba's modest sorcery skills had little to do with this moniker the Frotticans had bestowed upon her. Rather, the young woman had earned it due to her unusual complexion: she was green.

The absentminded smile on Galinda's lips widened the more she thought of Elphaba. They kept their affection for each other well hidden from the rest of the town and, most importantly, their parents. Yet there was no doubt about it that she was madly in love with the peculiar girl. They had last seen each other three days ago and already she longed to meet her again. Three days ago, they had kissed. It hadn't been their first time, but they had been more daring than ever before. Remembering the warm, tingling sensation that had hit her entire body like a giant wave made the blonde yearn even more for her love. Oh, how perfect would a world be in which she could be with Elphaba, without the constant fear of being discovered and without the threat of an unwanted marriage looming above both girls' heads like a dark cloud, dampening the joy first love brought to their young hearts.

With a heavy sigh, Galinda slipped off the bed and crossed the room, sitting down at her vanity. Her fingers caressed the richly decorated back of her brush. She was leading a privileged life. Her parents weren't quite as rich as they liked everyone to believe, but they were still doing comparatively well for themselves. And as their only child, Galinda had always been treated like a princess. She knew that there were bigger things in life than wealth and silken gowns and golden trinkets, but she simply didn't know how to do without them. Perhaps, this had been her parent's plan all along, she mused. She loved Elphaba, but if she wanted to continue her life this way, a suitor like Sir Chuffrey was her only option.

She picked up her brush and began with her restoration efforts. Her hair had suffered more than anticipated under her brief loss of temper. All she could do now was to brush out the tangles and ask her ama to help her redo the entire look come morning. Absorbed in her own private thoughts and her beauty routine, Galinda jumped when something hit the window to her right with a lout _clonk_. Her head spun around. She stared at the glass, wondering whether it had been a little bird, propelled against the window by a strong gust. There was no mark left, no scratch, no blood. Frowning, she stood to inspect the cold outsides. It had begun to snow again and the white flakes fell from the sky like large, heavy down feathers. She noticed how peacefully they glided to the ground. The night must have been almost windless.

Taking another step forward and resting her hands on the windowsill, Galinda curiously looked outside. _Clonk._ A small pebble hit the glass mere inches next to her face and she shrunk back with a high-pitched shriek. There she stood, staring baffled at the spot where the stone had hit the glass. She regained her poise and huffed, stemming her hands on her hips in irritation. What foolish prankster would go out so late in the evening, when the night was so bitterly cold?

Another stone hit the window and left a tiny crack. Now positively enraged, Galinda unlocked the window and threw it open. She leaned over the sill and scanned the darkness for the culprit. The audacious stone-thrower was easily spotted when a fourth pebble hit the wall next to the window.

"Psst! Galinda!"

The blonde's mouth fell open when her ears confirmed what her eyes thought they were seeing.

"Elphie! What in Oz's name!"

There she stood, Elphaba, on top of the high wall surrounding the Arduenna Villa. Clad in an oversized cloak, the large hood casting a shadow over her face, there was almost no green visible to distinguish her from more ordinary people, however, her unusually tall and willowy figure and billowing, dark hair were easy enough for Galinda to recognise. Galinda was annoyed with herself when her heart leaped right into her mouth. She wanted to be angry with the green thing for showing up like this, possibly getting her into unnecessary trouble, but the excitement over seeing her love easily won out.

"Elphie, what are you doing here, you idiot?" she called as loudly as she dared, unable to keep the delight out of her voice. "And how did you even get onto that ozdamned wall?"

A trembling, gloved hand pointed a few feet to the green girl's left.

"Tree," she said curtly. The warm breath escaping her mouth formed clouds of white vapour. "Let me in?"

Galinda's heart immediately dropped to the pit of her stomach. A panicked _"What?"_ was all she could utter.

Elphaba glanced over her shoulder, then looked back to Galinda, wrapping her arms around her slender waist for a measure of warmth.

"My brother saw us the other day, when we snuck away after the service." Galinda's hands flew up to cover her mouth. "He told father. When he confronted me, things didn't go well."

Words were forsaking the blonde at the window. Slowly, her hands sunk and she pressed them against her chest.

"Oh Elphie," she said after a little while, tears beginning to brim her eyes. "You came here, but how could I possibly help? What do you expect me to do? Don't you think the same will happen when _my_ father finds out?"

One of Elphaba's arms slid down as she looked away. "I know." Her voice was soft, and if it hadn't been for the gentle breeze, blowing in Galinda's direction, they would not have carried far enough for her to hear.

Galinda sniveled, trying to keep her tears at bay.

"I'm sorry, Galinda. I… I didn't mean to come here. I tried to find shelter; I even tried to sleep outside… Please, believe me. I wouldn't be standing here right now if there were another way. But if you can't let me in, I'll most certainly freeze out here."

"Oh, you silly, green thing," the blonde cried, furiously wiping at the tears on her cheeks. Already, she began to feel the cold creeping into her room and the wetness of the salty drops made the tender skin of her face more vulnerable to the harsh winter air. How could she possibly send her love away like this, helpless, exposed to the elements? She bit her lip. "My father already locked all doors. The key is kept in his study."

Trying to think of any entrances that might have been neglected, Galinda let her gaze wander along the wall of the house. Finally, her eyes lingered on a leafless Pertha ash.

"Did you say you climbed that tree on the other side to get up there?"

Elphaba nodded wordlessly.

"There is another one on the other side of the house. It almost grows all the way to the kitchen window. Do you think you could scale it?"

Elphaba lowered herself to a sitting position and hopped off the wall, into the inner courtyard. "I will try."

An anxious smile tucking at the corners of her mouth, Galinda bobbed her head and closed the window. She made for the door, but then thought better of it. Hastily rummaging thorugh her wardrobe, she located her big riding cape and wrapped it around her shoulders, before rushing out of her room and towards the kitchen.

Her heart was beating so strongly that the pulsing of her blood was the only sound she heard as she made her way through the dark, seemingly empty house. She released a deep breath when she spied around a corner and found that there was no light in the kitchen. The maids often stayed up late to wash the dishes, sweep the floor or prepare food for the following day. But that evening, she was lucky, and no one was to be seen. Clenching her fist for encouragement, she traversed the hall and slipped through the open door to the kitchen. She scurried to the window and unlocked it with unsteady hands. When she looked down, Elphaba was already halfway up the tree.

"How are you going there?"

Elphaba stopped to look up to her. "Well, this would be easier if my fingers weren't so stiff, but I think I'll manage." She continued upwards in her unwavering, steady pace.

Galinda nodded to herself. She watched the scrawny girl climb one branch after another, marveling at her skill and strength. She recalled all those times when she had criticised Elphaba's boney frame, but in this instance, it definitely was her greatest advantage. She could clamber branches that surely wouldn't have carried Galinda's weight, despite her being more than one head shorter. Somehow, even the thinnest branches seemed to be able to bear her weight.

Within minutes, Elphaba had made it almost to the top. She sat on a branch that was just level with the kitchen window, but hesitated to move forward. "Even if I make it to the middle of this branch, there are still at least seven feet between me and the wall."

"Can't you jump?" Galinda asked, fully aware of the silliness of her proposition, but unable to come up with a better alternative.

"I may be green, but I assure you, there are no grasshoppers in my family tree," Elphaba retorted.

Usually Galinda found her feisty rejoinders rather entertaining, but this time, it was difficult to miss the bitterness in her love's voice. It was obvious, that Elphaba was seriously struggling. Galinda tried to think of something.

"I don't suppose you happen to have a rope in your kitchen?" came a query from the direction of the tree.

The blonde frowned. "And what exactly would you do with the rope if we had one?"

"Tie it to the tree and balance on it," Elphaba said, shrugging her shoulders. Galinda rolled her eyes. As she did so, she spotted the bunch of aprons hanging off a hook next to the cupboard.

"Wait there for a moment, Elphie!"

With that, she disappeared from the window to retrieve the aprons. She tied all of them together, until she ended up with a coil that she guessed might just be long enough.

"Here, Elphie, catch!" she called and threw most of the bundle in the green girl's direction, while holding on to the opposite end. Elphaba eyed the makeshift rope critically.

"I'm not sure what I trust less: your knots or your arm strength."

"Oh, you ungrateful creature, you!" Galinda pouted, but considered the possible hitch in her plan. "Do you think the table might hold your weight?" she asked at last.

"Mhm… what is it made of?"

"Solid quoxwood."

Elphaba nodded. "I hope if worst comes to worst, it doesn't fit thorugh the window."

The blonde considered the furniture in question. No, that was definitely not going to happen.

"All right. Just give me one moment."

When she returned to the window, Elphaba was busy testing the strength of her lifeline. She took a breath and looked up to Galinda.

"I still don't know about these knots," she mumbled.

"Then you will have to spend the rest of the night in this tree," the blonde replied pertly.

But Elphaba had already begun sliding forward on the branch, her rope firmly in her hands and wrapped around her wrists. Inch by inch, she worked her way towards the building. The limb of the tree was growing thin and bent further and further down. It gave in a bit sooner than they had hoped, and Elphaba went swinging towards the wall. She managed to bring her feet forward to cushion her collision with the façade of the house. Above her, Galinda gasped.

"I'm fine," she heard Elphaba press out. "I'll be fine. Just wait for me there."

But Galinda couldn't simply stand by and watch. She grabbed the rope of aprons and began to pull. Elphaba had been right; she wasn't particularly strong, but again, it was lucky that Elphaba was not very heavy either, and so Galinda was able to help at least a little. Barely a minute later, the green girl's head appeared in the window. One more hearty tug, and Elphaba tumbled thorugh the opening and into the kitchen, causing Galinda to fall backwards. Still lying on the floor, Galinda began to giggle and Elphaba soon joined in with a breathy kind of snort. Breathless from the exertion and the laughter, the short blonde dragged herself across the floor towards Elphaba. She gave her a tight hug and pressed her warm lips against the green girl's cold forehead.

"Oh my, Elphie! You're a human icicle!"

Elphaba leaned into the gentle touch and said nothing for once.

Galinda opened the clasp that held her cape together and threw one half of the thick fabric over Elphaba, then wrapped the aprons into a tight bundle and hid them under the cloak as well. "Come, we better get back to my room before one of the kitchen maids remembers that she forgot to clean out the stove or something like that."

The way through the hallways was a bit of a struggle. Since Elphaba was much taller than Galinda, she had to move in an uncomfortable, crouched posture. Unable to see much under the cover of the blonde's cape and her joints sore from the cold, she rather wobbled than walked, and more than once, she accidentally bumped into a corner or pillar sticking out from the wall.

Both girls were unspeakably glad when they had finally reached the relative safety of Galinda's bedroom. Galinda slipped out from under the cape to flit over to the wardrobe. She produced several blankets and throws from its depths and tossed them onto the bed. With a soft smile, she patted the duvet cover, inviting Elphaba to make herself comfortable. Hesitantly, the green girl complied.

With Elphaba on the bed and Galinda standing but a few inches away, the atmosphere had suddenly turned awkward. Elphaba often became quiet like this when she was confronted with situations she wasn't used to, while Galinda usually was the one to take the first step to lighten the mood. But this time was different. For Galinda, having Elphaba in her very bedroom was terrifyingly intimate. Getting Elphaba here had been comparatively easy, since the task had required certain steps to achieve a specific outcome. Now her head was all muddled. There was no plan for what they should do next, a complete lack of direction. Should they sit down and talk about what had happened at Elphaba's house, should Galinda offer her a kiss to comfort her, or should they simply slip under the warm blankets and get some rest, leaving any big decisions for a new day. The thought that this situation could lead literally anywhere, only added to the uneasy feeling in the blonde's belly.

She briefly glanced away, trying to think of something, _anything_ to say. The moment her eyes returned to Elphaba, a violent shiver shook the green girl's body. Without a second thought, she jumped onto the bed and crawled right next to Elphaba, wrapping her arms around her shoulders. "Ew!" she exclaimed and quickly withdrew her arms. "You're all wet! No wonder you're trembling like a leaf."

Carefully, she divested her of the first layer of garments, only to find that the next one was also damp. She flushed at the thought of taking them off and refrained for the moment. Instead, she reached for two of the blankets she had tossed onto the bed earlier and wrapped them tightly around her love's angular frame. Elphaba accepted them with a small snivel and shy smile. Galinda scooted backwards a little and began to work on the laces of her black boots. Once the ice-cold feet were freed, she began to rub and massage them, altering between left and right, hoping to get the blood flowing again. Still kneading diligently, she lifted her gaze to look at Elphaba. Big, brown eyes stared back at her, impossible to read. All Galinda knew was that Elphaba would not hesitate to tell her, should this get too overwhelming or unpleasant in any way.

Smiling to herself, Galinda directed her attention back to Elphaba's feet. It didn't take long, and they had regained a healthy looking shade of emerald green. Pleased with herself, she placed a soft kiss on the bridge of Elphaba's left foot, which was promptly retracted. The shorter girl's head flicked up. She was about to apologise, but when she saw Elphaba, face flushed in the most alluring shade of violet, her eyes intently trained on her own hands, her tongue was tied, unable to produce a single sound. She, too, felt the heat rising in her cheeks. Only vaguely aware of her of her own actions, she edged closer, pausing when her face was mere inches away from Elphaba's. Shivering once more, although perhaps this time not from the cold, Elphaba swallowed and tilted her head and their eyes met.

Galinda loved the paradox that was Elphaba. Bold, astute and equipped with a razor sharp tongue, the green girl was known to stand up for herself and others she considered worth her protection. Oz knew, neither the Frotticans, nor anyone else had ever been particularly accepting of her. But Elphaba took all adversity in a stride and it didn't even seem to bother her. On the other hand, being touched in a loving way and being told that she was worth it, appeared to frighten her. Initially, she would mask her fluster with witticisms and casual remarks, but whenever Galinda pushed past that invisible line, pulling her out of her comfort zone, Elphaba would find herself at a loss and ultimately surrender the lead to the petite blonde. It was strangely endearing and almost cute - if that was a term that could possibly be applied to the tall, lanky, green thing.

They were still holding eye contact, but Elphaba's determination was slowly running out. Galinda noticed how her breaths were coming in more raggedly and how her jaw muscles tensed and relaxed with increasing frequency, making the cords of her slender neck stand out. Galinda could think of two ways to resolve this problem and the safest option undoubtedly would have been to back off and give the poor girl some space. But seeing as Elphaba was still trembling from the cold, Galinda quickly decided to go for broke and closed the gap between them.

Their lips brushed fleetingly, their noses touched gently, then Galinda leaned in for a second kiss, lingering, firmer and more deliberate. Her hand found its way onto Elphaba's tense shoulder. When she withdrew, she found that her own breathing had become shaky as well. Unwilling to completely detach herself from her love, she rested her forehead against Elphaba's.

"Are you all right?" she asked after a few breaths and finally relaxed when she felt Elphaba nodding against her forehead. They remained like this for another clock tick, until Elphaba began to tremble again.

"I've had enough of this," Galinda decided. She tugged on the blankets hanging from Elphaba's shoulders and carelessly flung them aside. She began to work on the buttons of the bodice, which, in Elphaba's case, were luckily positioned in the front.

"W-what are you doing?" Elphaba protested halfheartedly, chewing her lower lip.

"You're cold and if we don't get you out of these wet clothes as soon as possible, you might end up catching pneumonia. But not on my watch! There."

Nimble fingers had made quick work of the bodice, leaving Elphaba in her chemise and skirt, both of which, thankfully, were dry. "Isn't this better?"

"Well," Elphaba cleared her voice, "it's still a little too chilly in here to be sitting around in my underwear." She peered at the remaining blankets behind Galinda.

Galinda, however, had her own idea of how to warm her up. She blithely climbed onto Elphaba's lap and wrapped herself around her like a human blanket, locking her arms behind Elphaba's neck. "How about this?"

Although she received no reply, she could feel Elphaba's body temperature rise almost instantaneously and declared her maneuver a success. Content, she nestled her head against Elphaba's chest, eyes closed.

"Are you going to stay there for the rest of the night?" the green girl wanted to know, shifting her weight slightly.

But Galinda didn't hear her. She was too busy soaking in her exotic scent. She had sampled whiffs of if before, but never had she been this close, and never had Elphaba smelt this intoxicating to her. "Mhm… What is this Elphie? You smell like heaven."

Her arms unhooked and slowly lowered, Galinda's hands tracing Elphaba's back. Inadvertently, Elphaba arched into the touch.

"Ga-galinda?"

The movement stopped and Galinda looked up to Elphaba, a pretty blush on her pale cheeks, her eyes hooded. "I'm sorry, I just-"

Her sentence was cut off when Elphaba, quite unexpectedly, dipped down her head to capture her full lips. This was a first and Galinda let out a small squeal, followed by a happy moan. Elphaba used this chance to deepen the kiss. She finished with a gentle tug on Galinda's bottom lip, then leaned back, panting slightly.

"Sweet Oz, Elphie," Galinda purred, "what was that?" When she opened her eyes, the green girl looked almost ashamed. "Can we do this again?" Galinda asked, giggling when Elphaba's face contorted in surprise.

"I-I… I don't know if I can. To tell the truth, I have no idea what came over me."

"Of course you can!" The blonde laid her hands on both of Elphaba's shoulders and pulled herself back up in a kneeling position, ready to attack her love's mouth again.

"Wait!" Elphaba warned, pressing a long, green finger against Galinda's pastel pink lips. "If we do this again, I don't know if I would be able to stop myself."

Galinda blinked, trying to figure out whether she had just misheard what Elphaba had said. "You mean… all this time… you were so hesitant because you've been holding back?"

Elphaba grimaced. "Partially."

That was all Galinda needed to hear. She jumped at Elphaba, pushing her back into the pillows. She pressed her mouth against hers, buried her hands in that luxurious mane of midnight black hair. "This has to stop now, Miss Elphaba," she chided her lightly once they parted, her golden curls bobbing as she shook her head.

Elphaba looked away, then right back into her sparkling, blue eyes.

"Are you absolutely sure?"

"If I might not have been five minutes ago, I certainly am now. This is an opportunity we might never have again." The thought of Sir Chuffrey crossed her mind, but Galinda decided to leave that topic for a later time. "Tonight, I want to be as close to you as I can. I want to pretend that this is the last time we will ever see each other and see where our passion will lead us."

A hitherto unknown rush of excitement filled the short blonde's chest, gradually spreading to her lower abdomen and even all the way to her fingertips and toes. Never before, had she felt such intense and raw desire. This was very different from the giddy sensation she got from a peck on Elphaba's cheek or from holding her hands. Instead of feeling like she was lightheadedly floating on a pink, fluffy cloud, she was very much in the moment now, her senses heightened and all her thoughts focusing exclusively on the green girl beneath her.

Elphaba's reluctance to reply to her request frustrated her, so she decided to take matters into her own hands. She slid off Elphaba's thighs, lying half over her upper body and half on the bed, but every inch pressed as closely as possible against Elphaba. She paused, still not quite satisfied with her positioning. She drew one leg up and over Elphaba's legs. Yes, that was perfect. Smirking, she reached up with her right hand to cup Elphaba's sharp jaw, tilting her head into the right angle for another kiss. She didn't linger on her mouth for too long, bravely moving on to explore her neck instead. This was when Elphaba's resolve broke and she could no longer suppress her responsiveness. Galinda heard her draw a sharp breath when her lips reached the dip between Elphaba's prominent collarbones. She smiled against the flawless, emerald skin and continued on. Elphaba reacted quickly and, with her unusual strength, rolled them over.

"Not so fast," she growled as she held Galinda's hands pinned down. Galinda's worries that Elphaba might put an early end to their little game were short-lived, for only seconds later, Elphaba's mouth came down hard on her hers, more demanding than it had ever been before. One of Galinda's hands was released when Elphaba's found a new target. It started on her cheek, but soon made its way along her neck, her shoulder and her ribs, fleetingly grazing the side of her breast.

Galinda gasped. She tried to take a deep breath to calm down, but found that she couldn't. A little alarmed, she urgently shoved Elphaba away and pushed herself up into a sitting position, which allowed her lungs to expand marginally more easily.

"Was that too much?" Elphaba asked apologetically.

"What? Oz, no! But this thing… it's too constricting." Galinda reached behind her back to pull on the velvet ribbon at the back of her dress. She found it, but the stubborn thing wouldn't come loose. After a few attempts, she looked up to face Elphaba. "Some help?"

She slowly turned her back to the green girl, eager to breathe again and continue their previous activities. A minute later, the sleeves of her dress slipped off her shoulders and she quickly slid out of them. With Elphaba's help, the heavy garment was pulled over her head. Elphaba had been right; it was a little cold. This was particularly true when the two girls remained sitting like this for a few moments. A small shudder went down Galinda's spine.

"Elphie? The corset?"

Behind her, Elphaba inhaled audibly. "Oh."

But she complied, and soon the uncomfortable piece of silk and whalebone was gone. Galinda stretched her arms in the air and sighed happily. "So good." She pivoted around and shuffled closer to Elphaba. She cupped her cheeks with both hands and every intention to kiss her breathless. Just before their lips met, however, she shied away, sitting back down. It seemed as if, together with her clothes, some of her confidence was gone as well.

"I… I'm afraid I don't know how to do this," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Neither do I. Still, I think we were doing reasonably well before. Maybe we should just try again and see what comes natural."

Galinda nodded, but didn't move. Elphaba waited for her to regain her courage, but ultimately decided that it was now up to her to get things rolling again. She grinned wickedly, before moving to kiss the shorter girl soundly, using her tongue, her teeth, everything she had.

Galinda felt like she was melting in the heat of their passion. She reciprocated eagerly, but at the back of her head, she wondered what had happened to the sweet girl she had once been, her parent's little darling. Were virtuous girls even allowed to feel this way at all? Would it still be wrong for a woman to take such pleasure in these physical acts if she were to practice them with her lawfully wedded husband? And where would that leave her, the girl who happened to love the wrong person of the wrong colour and the wrong sex?

Elphaba's hand on her only thinly veiled breast made her gasp and forget all about these tedious thoughts. She was lying flat on her back, her face half buried in one of her soft pillows. She couldn't for the life of her recall how she had gotten into this position or when exactly Elphaba's mouth had left hers to venture further south, where it currently sucked tenderly on one of her collarbones. The pressure increased, until she experienced a mild pain that made her whimper. Dark, grey-green lips released the delicate, ivory skin and Elphaba stilled for a clock tick to examine the spot. Galinda couldn't see what she was seeing, of course, and furrowed her neatly plucked brows when Elphaba flashed her a self-satisfied smirk.

"I always wanted to try this," she hummed and recommenced what she had been doing before, leaving Galinda puzzled, but too distracted to ask about it.

With disappointment, Galinda noticed Elphaba's hand trailing further down, away from her breasts. But if she thought that the green girl had given up on them already, she was utterly mistaken. Elphaba's lips broke contact with her skin so she could sit up slightly and free her other hand. She slid both of them under the hem of Galinda's chemise, which had already ridden up all the way to her navel, and pushed the fabric up even further, until it all gathered just underneath her ample mounds. A nervous look asked for permission, which Galinda granted with a reluctant nod. Elphaba leaned down to pepper her cheek with light butterfly kisses, then returned to the task at hand. Not wasting any time, she let her big hands glide right over Galinda's breasts as she shoved the chemise further up. Small jolts made the blonde twitch, when Elphaba's palms stroked her already hard nipples. Galinda had never known they could be so sensitive. Once both breasts were entirely exposed, Elphaba took a moment to appreciate the sight. A hint of self-doubt made Galinda's stomach churn, but the darkening of Elphaba's blush and her glowing eyes told her that her love was seeing nothing she should be ashamed of.

"Absolutely gorgeous," Elphaba murmured under her breath. "And I almost thought you couldn't possibly be this perfect all over."

Galinda wanted to swat her playfully, but somehow couldn't move. When Elphaba's mouth descended upon her right breast to give it a gentle kiss, she tossed her head to the side and drew a deep breath, unintentionally lifting her chest and pressing her bosom against Elphaba's face. She felt the green girl's chuckle resonate against her skin. Breathless, Galinda collapsed back onto the bed, her eyes still closed. Elphaba moved her lips downwards with a strong sense of purpose. Soon, she captured the pert nipple her hands had felt before and carefully nibbled on it.

"Ah!" Galinda shot up, glaring at Elphaba with wide eyes. Elphaba moved away, taken aback. "What was that for?"

"Did that hurt?" Elphaba asked quietly, her head ducked.

"Yes!" Galinda fiddled with her fingers, twisting them, in various directions. "Well… no… Maybe? Oz, I don't even know." She agitatedly combed her hair back with her fingers while Elphaba stared at her in confusion. She could almost see the cogs in Elphaba's head turning. She laughed. "Forgive me, Elphie. I-I don't know; I suppose it simply all got a bit much."

Elphaba nodded slowly.

"I'm sorry, can we just go back to where we were?"

"Should I be a bit more careful this time?"

Galinda lowered herself down onto the bed and tried to get comfortable again. "Mhm… perhaps. But only a teeny, tiny bit. Just so I don't jump at you again."

Elphaba scooted closer and fidgeted around until she found her previous position. She quietly cleared her throat and both girls laughed nervously. Licking her lips, she finally bent down to plant a reassuring peck on Galinda's lips. Her hands once more travelled down the blonde's body, blindly searching for the hem of her chemise, which had dropped all the way to her thighs when Galinda had sat up. Mere inches above her knee, green hands made contact with naked, pale skin. Galinda quivered at the feeling.

Once again, Elphaba pushed up the light fabric. The brushing of her love's hands over her hips made Galinda's breath hitch and her eyes flutter shut. It tickled, when Elphaba placed her lips just above her navel, slowly moving up with every subsequent kiss. The green girl's dexterous hands were the first to arrive at her full breasts. They cupped and massaged them leisurely, until Elphaba's mouth was ready to replace one of them.

The exhilarating sensation of Elphaba's hand and lips on her breasts distracted Galinda entirely from what her other hand was doing. Only belated, she realised that Elphaba had snuck it all the way back down and between the seams of her lace drawers, gently stroking the inside of her thigh. She opened her eyes and lifted her head to see and Elphaba momentarily abandoned her nipple to cast her a questioning look.

"Elphie," Galinda whimpered and Elphaba moved her lower hand further towards the intimate spot between her legs.

"Is that all right?" she asked, almost as breathless as the blonde.

Galinda couldn't find the courage to reply directly, so she lifted her hips instead, bucking against Elphaba's hand. The green girl understood and firmly cupped her sex.

The pressure sent unexpected waves of pleasure through Galinda's body. She bucked her hips again, this time harder and entirely involuntary. When she looked at Elphaba through half-closed eyes, her love's expression displayed deep concentration. She, too, had closed her eyes and seemed to focus solely on the feeling of her hand at Galinda's centre. One finger found a small knob that had Galinda cry out softly when touched. Elphaba's lips pulled into a wry smile and the finger once again flicked over the sensitive bump.

Galinda's head began to feel drowsy and bit by bit, she felt her self-control slip away. Random parts of her body began to twitch and her hips moved against Elphaba's hand at their own volition. She was entirely at Elphaba's mercy and that of her own, most primal instincts. The built-up was overwhelming and she only vaguely perceived a long finger diving between wet folds. This new sensation almost immediately sent her over the edge. Too paralysed to move or even cry out as intense ripples of euphoria and pleasure pulsed through her body, she was hovering but an inch above the bed, small whimpers escaping her parted lips. For a few, precious moments, there was nothing but relieve and the oddly pleasant throbbing, spreading from her lower regions. When she finally came around, her chest was still heaving and she felt a tear rolling over her cheek. She had no idea how long she had been under the spell of her own orgasm, but opening her eyes, she found Elphaba was lying beside her, leaning in to kiss away the stray tear.

"This was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen," Elphaba breathed and pressed her lips against Galinda's hungrily. Galinda couldn't quite match her vigour, still too exhausted from her climax.

"I remember you saying you didn't know how to do this, but it would appear you definitely knew more than I did," Galinda remarked a little later, twisting raven hair around her finger and watching it uncoil again.

"Just like you, I lack any kind of first hand experience. But what can I say, my mother was a good teacher," Elphaba joked. The utterly shocked look on Galinda's face, however, made her wince. "Well, when I was a child, my father often was on one mission or another. My mother used to be rather open about her affairs and the sexual encounters involved. She didn't really bother hiding what she was doing and when she was really drunk, she shared even more. I was too young to understand, but some things she said stuck with me. I never thought any of this would come in handy."

Galinda shook her head. "That sounds terrible."

"I didn't think much of it as a child," Elphaba replied, shrugging her shoulders. "And while I suppose that she might have gone about it the wrong way, I now understand that the desire for closeness and pleasure is something very natural."

"Natural, mhm…" Galinda considered what Elphaba had said. "And what about your desires? If I remember right, I still have a favour to repay." She pushed herself up and put one hand on each side of Elphaba's head.

"You sure you're up to this?"

"No worries, I'm feeling great."

She ran one hand through Elphaba's hair and leaned in for a long, sweet kiss. Elphaba's hands came up to her back, lightly scratching the delicate skin through her thin chemise. Galinda smiled into the kiss and moved sideways, trailing along Elphaba's jaw and running her tongue along the outline of her ear when she reached it. The green girl writhed underneath her, exposing her long neck. Galinda backed away to get a better view. Tiny pearls of sweat made Elphaba's skin glisten, reminding Galinda more than ever of the colour and sparkle of real emeralds. She pressed her lips against her pulse point and sucked gently. Feeling and hearing Elphaba respond to her caresses, sent a surge of excitement through her body. She used her teeth, raking them over the same spot and was immensely pleased with herself, when her actions elicited another, slightly louder whimper from Elphaba.

"Please," Elphaba gasped, "You don't need to tease me. Watching you earlier already warmed me up plenty."

Galinda giggled and moved on. Elphaba's chemise was held together by several ribbons. Tentatively, the blonde pulled on the first pair of laces to loosen the tie. A few more undone ties later, the light cotton fabric slipped off Elphaba's chest and revealed her small, but expressive breasts. Elphaba swallowed and looked away.

"I'm afraid they're not much to look at."

"What?" Galinda flashed her a bit of a glare. "Size doesn't matter. They are beautiful as they are." She appreciatively ran her hands over them. "And so firm. Besides, I think they suit you perfectly."

For that, Elphaba had no reply, or perhaps she had simply given up arguing for the sake of moving things forward. Either way, Galinda happily returned her undivided attention to Elphaba's chest, drawing circles with her fingers and nibbling at the dark, forest green nipples, hoping that Elphaba was feeling what she had felt but a few minutes ago. Most importantly, she tried to show Elphaba that she loved her body exactly the way it was. And she truly did. Galinda could hardly get enough of her emerald goddess, of her scent, her taste and the little sound she made whenever Galinda hit a particularly sensitive spot just in the right way. She felt like she could continue doing this for hours on end, and maybe she was, for she honestly couldn't tell.

Eventually, her attentive mouth and hands found their way down to the lower half of Elphaba's body. She considered removing Elphaba's skirt, but decided against it, because it would create too much distraction. Instead, she hiked up the skirt and slipped one hand underneath. It trembled slightly, as she cautiously brushed it over Elphaba's knee and her thigh. At the junction of Elphaba's impossibly long legs, her fingertips encountered coarse hair, already sufficiently dampened by the green girl's excitement. Although her eyes remained fixed on Elphaba, not seeing anything that was happening underneath the layers of cloth, a rather vivid picture began to form in Galinda's mind, making her head and chest turn bright pink. Taking in the sensation of touching the crunchiness of Elphaba's hair, of sliding her fingers along the slickness of her labia almost made her moan as well, as she felt the heat returning to her own centre.

"What did I tell you about teasing?" Elphaba rasped, arching into the touch and purposefully rocking against Galinda's hand.

Galinda swallowed hard and firmly pressed with her palm against Elphaba's entrance. She found a little bump that stood out and wondered whether that was the same thing that had sent her into intense tremors of pleasure. She began massaging it in circular motions and Elphaba responded immediately with an uncontrolled twitch and a stream of nonsensical words rolling from her tongue. It was quite a sight to behold.

Now that the effectiveness of the little nub was confirmed, Galinda became bolder, experimenting with pace and pressure, until she found out what exactly it was that her love needed. Spurred on by Elphaba's strong reactions, she continued until the green girl stiffened, her hips pushing against Galinda's hand, her face half buried in the pillows and delicately contorted in ecstasy. The messy black hair splayed around her head like a dark halo. She was biting her finger, presumably to stifle a loud cry. Galinda would never have thought that she could love Elphaba more than she already did, but in this moment, it felt like her emotions were brimming over. Gently, she helped her lower her bottom, then crawled up next to her, stroking her cheek as she recovered from her high.

"You're absolutely amazing, my sweet," Elphaba breathed, capturing the tender hand with her own and pressing a kiss against its palm.

Galinda could feel tears prick her eyes. "Oh, Elphie… I don't want to loose you."

The green girl's hazy eyes cleared with a blink and grew wide in alarm. "Whoa, where is that suddenly coming from?"

Galinda pulled back her hand and sheepishly averted her gaze. "I just mean… between your father kicking you out and my parents looking to marry me off to some rich, old josser-" she released a heart wrenching sob "-there really doesn't seem to be much hope."

The realisation that tears were now streaming down her cheeks in torrents, upset her even more. Hastily, she moved away from Elphaba and scrambled to the other end of the bed. She sat there, her feet dangling. When she lifted her head, she could see herself in the mirror, her hair all tousled and her eyes red. She spotted a dark mark on her collarbone, which made her smile despite herself. She studied it curiously, wondering how long it would last. She wished she could keep it forever; a secret sign that she belonged to Elphaba and Elphaba alone.

She jumped when long, thin arms wrapped around her midsection. Tender lips planted fleeting kisses on her cheek.

"Shhh, sweet girl. Don't cry." Elphaba's hands found hers and squeezed them tightly. "Why don't you come with me?"

Galinda released a shaky breath. "Where?"

"To the Emerald City."

Galinda turned around to pull Elphaba into a big hug. Nuzzling her neck and taking in her scent, she found calmness, despite her anguish and misgivings.

"You know that I can't do that," she hiccupped.

There was a long pause. Elphaba tightened her grip on her. "I know." Dark lips softly pressed against her temple. "But let us not think of these things tonight. This night, though extremely enjoyable, was very tiring. We should try and get some sleep."

Galinda nodded in hesitant agreement, but didn't move. In the end, Elphaba pulled her to the middle of the bed and draped the warm blanket over both of their bodies. She held her close, rocking her, whispering to her, until she fell asleep at last.

* * *

The following morning, Galinda woke with a start. The memories of the previous night were still fresh in her mind, but at the same time, so surreal that she was uncertain whether any of this had truly come to pass. Her heart beating wildly in her chest, she turned to look at the girl lying beside her. She was there. Sweet Oz, Elphaba was really there. One look at her solemn face, her tangled mane of midnight black hair, was enough to convince her that last night had not been a dream.

Elphaba's arm extended a little further and her hand reached Galinda's chemise. Her fingers curled around the handful of fabric. Big, brown eyes fluttered open. For a heartbeat, Elphaba seemed confused, but then she flashed Galinda the brightest grin she had ever seen.

"Good morning," Galinda said, smiling back at her.

Then, a loud knock on the door.

"Galinda?" It was her mother. "Galinda, are you awake? It's almost ten o'clock; we'll be late for the service."

Both girls shot up, Elphaba clutching the blanket to her bare chest. They exchanged petrified looks.

The woman on the other side of the door was growing impatient and began to rap harder against the wood.

"Galinda!"

* * *

 _ **AN:**_

 _Hey, it's me again!_

 _Okay, guys... some of the awesome people who reviewed/ PMed me made the cogs in my brain churn at their own volition. What I mean is, that - although I really had no intentions to continue this story - I came up with a whole bunch of new plot points! So this story is gonna be a multi chap after all! But don't cheer just yet (if you feel like cheering at all), because I have a lot of other stuff coming up which has been in the making for dunno how long. Consequently, this story won't be updated before mid/end Feb 2016. Because of the long wait, I'll keep the status as "completed" for now. Once I do update, I'll also fix the description. Not sure about the title yet, but it's most likely gonna stay the same. So yeah... if you liked this one-shot, or rather this first chapter, feel free to follow this story if you think you might still be interested in it a couple months from now._

 _Thanks to everyone who has read, favourited, followed and reviewed this story so far! I love you all!_

 _Watch this space_ (^_^)b

 _PS:_

 _What I wanted to clarify since I first uploaded (but I forgot): the thing with the drawers that I mentioned somewhere in the text... female underwear in Victorian times (an era I often kinda take that as a reference, although I'm not too fixed on it) often was only joint at the waist. Because of the corsets and elaborate dresses, pulling them up and down would have been a bit problematic, so they simply left them open (but overlapping) so that the ladies could go toilet very easily. Handy, isn't it? lol_


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